Steamy inspection technique
July 1st 2006

NDT Inspection & Testing has recently completed the inspection of large diameter, heating cyclinders at the Ellesmere Port complex of the Bridgewater Paper Company. The inspection is carried out within a 36 hour shut-down window and employs a number of NDT techniques to assess the condition and functionality of these vital production assets.

The 14 cylinders in the dryer section of the plant reach around 25 feet in length and five feet in diameter and are steamfilled to provide the necessary evaporative heat. As a result they are subject to internal corrosion because of the wet steam, as well as possible cracking encouraged by thermal stresses.

Magnetic particle inspection is applied to both inside and outside cylinder surfaces to detect any surface cracks, while ultrasonic ToF diffraction is used for volumetric inspection.

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